At the same time that Andrew Cuomo legalizes marijuana to divert attention from his multiple sexual harassment allegations, the trial of Derek Chauvin continues and America holds it breath for the results. No matter the outcome, these two events cause us to ask: what does racial justice look like, and can we trust our current institutions to protect us? 

Nekima Levy Armstrong is a Minneapolis-based civil rights attorney, activist, and Executive Director of Wayfinder Foundation. She is also the former Minneapolis NAACP President and a former law professor.